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Prosecutor Drops Fire Certificate Charge

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By VALERIE KALFRIN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 21, 2007

TAMPA - The Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office has decided not to pursue a criminal case against the director of a child care center accused of altering a fire-inspection certificate for the facility.

In July, Tampa police charged Linda Mattos of From Here to There Children's Center with felony uttering a forged instrument, saying she changed the date on a previous fire-inspection certificate to give the facility a passing grade.

Prosecutors decided not to pursue the charge because they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she was the person who altered the document. 'We just didn't have enough evidence to go forward,' said Mark Cox, a spokesman for the state attorney's office.

In an interview this week, Mattos said the charge has 'dampened the name of my business.'

'I was arrested for something I did not do,' she said. 'It was all false.'

The center at 1501 W. Busch Blvd. has been in operation since 2004, Mattos said. She cares for 52 children but is licensed to care for 99.
Fire inspectors said they initially flagged the center in March for not servicing the fire alarm and sprinkler system since 2005.
Mattos said this week that was an error on the part of the servicing company, which did not record its 2006 visit properly on the alarm box.

Police said the day care center legitimately passed inspection two days after the deficiencies were noted. In the interim, a certificate from the previous year's fire inspection was faxed to the county's child care licensing program, with the date altered.
Mattos denied altering the document. 'I had nothing to do with that,' she said.

She said she found the document on her desk, assumed the fire marshal had revisited the facility and faxed it to the licensing office, 'not knowing someone else was doodling or messing with my papers.'

Before her arrest, Mattos had paid the licensing program a $500 fine related to the altered certificate, which the licensing program said placed children in danger.
Mattos said she decided to pay the fine because, as the facility's owner, she is ultimately responsible for the business.

Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800 or vkalfrin@tampatrib.com.

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